Timothée Chalamet’s gritty crime thriller was rejected

We supposedly dwell in an age the place there aren’t any extra film stars, which might make Timothée Chalamet one thing of an anomaly. The 28-year-old has had a string of field workplace hits in 2023 and 2024, proving he has that distinctive film star enchantment that makes normal audiences pay for tickets merely based mostly on the truth that Chalamet is the star.

After his Willy Wonka origin story, “Wonka” earned more than $600 million worldwide in December 2023, Chalamet’s sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” reached a milestone at the box office after a serious field workplace milestone in 2024, changing into one of many largest movies of the yr. He additionally performs residing legend Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s “A Full Unknown,” and if his final two movies are something to go by, this specific biographical drama ought to tremendously profit from Chalamet’s presence.

However it took time for the younger actor to succeed in this stage of cinema stardom. Earlier than presenting Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” and “Dune: Half Two,” he was determined to work with the French-Canadian filmmaker on absolutely anything. At one level, he even auditioned for considered one of Villeneuve’s finest movies, narrowly lacking out on a task that may have cemented the pair’s working relationship lengthy earlier than they introduced the Paul Atreides saga to the large display.

At the moment we all know Denis Villeneuve because the director of main movies comparable to the dark blockbuster “Dune: Part Two”, in addition to its predecessor, “Dune”, the intelligent sci-fi film with a beating heart “Arrival”, and the extremely underrated “Blade Runner 2049.” However again when he was making an attempt to make a reputation for himself outdoors of his native Canada, Villeneuve burst onto the scene with what stays considered one of his finest movies: 2013’s “Prisoners.”

The movie starred Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover, a father whose daughter is kidnapped. Dover turns into increasingly determined in his seek for her, compromising his long-held ideas as he slowly reveals himself. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Detective Loki oversees the tragic occasions from the facet of the police, who’re battling their very own demons. As the times cross, Dover turns into increasingly satisfied that Paul Dano’s Alex Jones – an intellectually disabled man – is behind his daughter’s kidnapping and, in one of the crucial memorable scenes, takes Alex in an empty home the place he beats him mercilessly. an try and get the solutions he wants.

Dano is ideal as Alex, delivering an understated however touching efficiency that meets the calls for of the movie’s huge turning level. However it seems it was Timothée Chalamet who endured Jackman’s rage within the movie, because the “Dune” star tried out for a task in “Prisoners” when he was simply 15 years outdated. GQ reported in 2020, when Chalamet met Villeneuve about “Dune,” the director advised the star how good it was to lastly meet, just for Chalamet to remind him that he had already auditioned for “Prisoners “. “After all!” Villeneuve mentioned when advised: “He did an ideal audition, however he wasn’t bodily match for the function. He was in all probability insulting me as a result of I did not settle for it. “

After Denis Villeneuve handed on Timothée Chalamet, Fortunately, Paul Dano was attracted to “Prisoners”, which labored out for the perfect general. Dano was among the best issues within the movie, and Chalamet turned a serious star in a collection of more and more high-profile initiatives. However evidently, whereas changing into a bona fide film star, Chalamet harbored a need to someday work with Villeneuve ever since his failed audition for “Prisoners.” Because the actor as soon as mentioned Talk“I had auditioned for ‘Prisoners’ once I was 15, a film with Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, so I attempted to work with [Villeneuve] for a very long time,” including, “He’s among the best, if not the perfect, administrators working in the present day.”

His need to lastly work with Villeneuve was so robust that, as Chalamet revealed to Deadline in 2021, he arrange a Google alert for the “Dune” venture “as quickly as Denis acquired concerned”. The actor additionally opened up about how he is been making an attempt to get the director’s consideration since his audition for “Prisoners” did not work out, saying:

“I keep in mind that I attempted to get in entrance of him as a lot as doable and arrange a gathering with him. We spent a night on the BAFTAs the place considered one of my good mates, Stéphane Bak – who can also be an actor – noticed Denis throughout the ring within the room and he mentioned to me, “Hey buddy, he is proper over there.” put in entrance of him, however I do not actually had an concept of ​​this chance. [of working with him]”.

Fortuitously, though he had initially forgotten that Chalamet had auditioned for “Prisoners,” Villeneuve had him in thoughts for “Dune” and requested the actor to fly to Cannes (the place he was president of the jury) to debate the movie, thus sealing his look. within the movie and at last deliver the 2 collectively on a venture.